KLEM News Update February 6, 2011

Le Mars fire fighters held the Stars and Stripes as the 30 by 58 foot flag was anchored from the aerial ladder truck baskets of the Le Mars and Sioux Center Fire Departments and then hoisted from the ground as fire fighters walked with the flag and held it until the final ladders' extensions. Applause from an audience that filled the parking lot followed with many saying, "That's a big flag."

For more than an hour, people lined up to have their photographs taken with the flag or to simply capture the image of Old Glory on video camera, digital cameras and cell phone cameras.

Fire fighters from Le Mars, Orange City, Sioux Center and Sioux City were among 17 firefighters from northwest Iowa who walked 26 blocks for the funerals in New York after 9/11. Five of them posed for a picture in front of a banner traveling with the Patriot Flag, "Never Forget." The names of those who died formed the lines of the letters of the words.

A program in the upper level of the Le Mars Convention Center honored the meaning of the flag.

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After the program, a memory book was signed by those who came to see the flag.

Sioux Center fire fighters were among those signing on the book's pages with their fire fighters uniform patches.

Branstad issues more disaster declarations

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) It's too early to say what the pricetag will be for the winter storms in Iowa.

But Gov. Terry Branstad isn't wasting any time in planning how to cover it, issuing disaster emergency proclamations for four more Iowa counties as the state continues to recover from the blizzard.

Branstad on Friday signed proclamations for Delaware, Jackson, Jones and Lee counties, all in eastern Iowa. Branstad issued proclamations on Thursday for three other counties in eastern Iowa Cedar, Dubuque and Scott counties.

The proclamations allows state resources to be used to recover from the storm, including heavy equipment for snow removal.

The blizzard that hit Tuesday and Wednesday dumped nearly 2 feet of snow on parts of Iowa, clogging highways, schools and businesses. It took three days for road crews to clear hundreds of miles of roads in the southern two-thirds of the state.

Muscatine man pleads guilty in woman's death

MUSCATINE, Iowa (AP) A Muscatine man charged with first-degree murder in the death of a woman has pleaded guilty to lesser charges.

Muscatine County Attorney Alan Ostergren said Friday that Brett Noble pleaded guilty to four charges attempted murder, voluntary manslaughter, first-degree theft and assault while participating in a felony. Ostergren says a plea agreement calls for Noble to serve a total sentence of up to 50 years in prison.

A sentencing date was not immediately set.

Noble was charged in the Jan. 6, 2010, death of Kristi Nicosia, who was found dead in her home. Court documents show she was strangled, stabbed and bludgeoned. Noble was charged with theft for stealing her car.

Man charged in deadly Iowa crash in court

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) A man charged in a crash that killed two children in Ankeny last May has made his initial court appearance.

Kevin Dalasta was charged Tuesday with two counts of vehicular homicide and two counts of serious injury by vehicle. He's accused in the deaths of 5-year-old Carson DeJoode (DUH'-jodee) and 5-month-old Claire DeJoode and serious injuries to their mother and 3-year-old brother.

WHO-TV in Des Moines says Dalasta turned himself in at the Ankeny police department on Friday. He was booked and taken to court. Court records for Polk County show bond was set at $30,000.

Dalasta's attorney, Alfredo Parrish, told The Des Moines Register that ``this was a tragedy.'' He declined further comment.

An arraignment is set for March 21.

Council Bluff man's nose bitten off in scuffle

COUNCIL BLUFFS, Iowa (AP) Council Bluffs police say they are looking for a man who bit off another man's nose during a scuffle.

Police say a 42-year-old man was walking behind the Horseshoe Casino about 6:15 a.m. Thursday when a car pulled up beside him and a man got out and began attacking him.

The Daily Nonpareil reports that the man tried to fight back and both men fell to the ground. Police say the alleged attacker climbed on top of the victim and bit off the tip of his nose.

They say the attacker got back in the car and drove off. Police say the victim told officers he didn't know the man who attacked him or why he was assaulted.

Police say the victim's nose was reattached at a local hospital.

Man sought in alcohol death of Iowa teen

HARLAN, Iowa (AP) Authorities say they have issued an arrest warrant for a man who allegedly gave alcohol to a Harlan teen who later died.

The Daily Nonpareil in Council Bluffs says 17-year-old Julio Caceres was at a party in Harlan when friends found him unconscious on Oct. 9. Caceres died two days later at a Nebraska hospital. An autopsy showed he choked on his own vomit while unconscious.

Police also have cited nine people for underage drinking in connection with the party.

Caceres's mother says she hopes the case will discourage others from giving alcohol to minors.

Shelby County Attorney Marcus Gross Jr. says the name of the man being sought isn't being released until he's in custody.

JOHNSTON, Iowa (AP) Sen. Tom Harkin says voters will come to understand the benefits of a health care overhaul that President Barack Obama pushed through Congress, and he thinks efforts to repeal the measure are doomed to failure.

Harkin says among the changes are extension of coverage to thousands of young people and expanded coverage options for the elderly. As those benefits become clear, he says the popularity of the health overhaul is certain to increase.

He says under the current system, an average family pays more than $1,000 a year to cover the cost of treating those without coverage.

Harkin was speaking Friday during a taping of the Iowa Public Television program, ``Iowa Press.''

Hawks look to keep rolling at Indiana

DES MOINES, Iowa (AP) The Iowa Hawkeyes will try to prove their blowout of Michigan State wasn't a fluke when they face Indiana today.

The Hawkeyes, who'd won just one league game in nine tries, crushed reeling Michigan State 72-52 on Wednesday night.

That game encapsulated the struggles of the Spartans, but it also showed that Iowa might be close to turning things around.

The Hawkeyes will next try to prove their blowout of Michigan State wasn't a fluke.

Coach Fran McCaffery says the win over Michigan State shows what the Hawkeyes are capable of. But McCaffery also says their biggest challenge is playing that well the rest of the way.